Jason Momoa’s Aquaman’s Status in the DCU Confirmed by James Gunn

Videos by ComicBook.com

“Is Aquaman canon? We don’t know, but I don’t think Aquaman is canon,” the filmmaker said. He also seemed to imply that if the DCU keeps the existing Aquaman, there may need to be some manipulation of the timeline, saying, “It’s unlikely that Aquaman is a famous hero in the DCU as Superman and Peacemaker Season 2 is happening.”

At the time of this writing, Peacemaker: The Official Podcast with James Gunn has been removed from most major platforms, and it’s unclear whether it will be back. Gunn had set out to give commentary on a full re-watch of Peacemaker Season 1 in this podcast, clearing up canonical issues with the DCU along the way. So far, the new franchise has blazed a new path for itself in Creature Commandos and Superman, but with Peacemaker, DC will have to face its recent history of frequent reboots head on.

Aquaman was the most successful movie in the DCEU, and in that respect, it makes sense that there would be some at Warner Bros. who want to keep the series going. However, the sequel did not match that box office performance, and the setting established in Superman doesn’t seem to fit with the story in those two movies. In the DCU, metahumans have been known to the public for about 300 years, so the emergence of Aquaman wouldn’t have had the same impact on this world.

There’s also the issue of Momoa’s other role. He is expected to make his DCU debut next year in Supergirl, where he will play the irreverent intergalactic bounty hunter Lobo. Even if Momoa looked different enough to juggle the two roles, it would be that much more of a time commitment for the actor, who clearly has other work on his slate.

Peacemaker Season 1 is streaming now on HBO Max, and Season 2 premieres there on August 21st. The DCEU films are streaming there as well, but don’t expect too many hints of the new DCU there.